<<Print>>

The 2012 Vice-Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia says it is the sole prerogative of President John Dramani Mahama whether embattled National Organiser of the ruling party, Yaw Boateng Gyan, should be relieve of his duties as Presidential Staffer, after the latter was implicated in a secret tape recording promising to recruit party foot soldiers to join the country�s security agencies to help the party�s agenda in the elections. The NPP Vice-Presidential candidate believes that it �is the decision of the President to make� whether Yaw Boateng Gyan�s pronouncements and intended actions are actually compatible with his views as a president and whether he is comfortable working with such a person. The soft-spoken NDC National Organiser was caught on tape, which runs a little over half an hour, promising party foot soldiers he will ensure that they are specifically recruited into the Special Forces at a meeting held about two months ago. Asked about his take on the issue, Dr Bawumia said the explosive pronouncements by the NDCs National Organizer has serious ramifications for the stability of the country, adding that he is extremely disappointed that a senior executive of the ruling party could formulate such dangerous plans which have the potential of threatening the country�s peace ahead of the upcoming general elections. According to him, the issue should be treated with the seriousness it deserves and appropriate actions taken against Mr Gyan if need be. Speaking in an interview with CitiFM�s Umaru Sanda Amadu, on the sidelines of his nationwide tour, Dr. Bawumia challenged President Mahama to walk his talk by bringing the NDC National Organizer to order after the latter�s plan to infiltrate the nation�s security services was exposed. He said President Mahama recently reiterated his commitment to peace and must demonstrate his sincerity of that commitment in dealing with Yaw Boateng Gyan�s plans to destabilize the country. �I think that this is not just talk, it has been action to some extent and we are heading towards an election so I will like to see a very swift reaction by the president. President Mahama should swiftly bring to book Mr. Yaw Boateng Gyan for this statement and the people that he was essentially conniving with to destabilize the country. He said recently that he is committed to peace so I will like to see a demonstration of the sincerity of that commitment in his dealings with this particular issue of Boateng Gyan on the plan afoot to infiltrate the security service to cause mayhem during the 2012 elections,� Dr Bawumia said. Dr Bawumia, who is currently in the Brong Ahafo Region, added that it is disappointing that the Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffour, could be part of the whole diabolical plan. Asked if President Mahama should fire Yaw Boateng Gyan from his position as a Presidential Staffer, the NPP Vice-Presidential candidate said �that is the decision of the President to make�, adding however, that the President must decide whether Yaw Boateng Gyan�s intended actions are actually compatible with his views as a president and whether he is comfortable working with such a person. �This is not a matter of the political party I belong to, but I could not believe it as a Ghanaian that a top official of the ruling party could sit down and make plans to infiltrate the security service. He has actually executed a plan to infiltrate with the backing of the minister of finance and it is just unbelievable especially when we are all trying to have a peaceful election in Ghana�we are all working to have that peace and to hear such a statement was shocking,� he added.